Time trialling - VTTA (VET's association)

Discussion about and results of Beacon club time trials and Beacon member participation in open time trials

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Simon Dighton
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Time trialling - VTTA (VET's association)

Post by Simon Dighton » 22 Feb 2020 15:51

Just in case people aren't aware there is a VET's group for the Midlands. It is good as it gives age related targets etc for Open time trials and allows comparison to those older / younger. I have attached a brief note below explaining what the VTTA does (I have been a member for a few years and certainly helps judge performances when over 40!

Best, Simon

If you are 40 or Over and Want to Ride Time trials, Midland VTTA has a Challenge to Suit You

The Veterans’ Time Trial Association (VTTA) was established 75 years ago this year for the express purpose of promoting time trials for the ‘mature’ participant in the sport. There are sixteen Groups across the country. Within the country-wide structure of the VTTA the Midlands Group offers riders over 40 a set of challenges for their racing season. There are also competitions, championships and standards organised nationally, and these are outlined at the end of these notes.
Uniquely, the VTTA has created a set of age related standards that mean competitions can be created for riders over 40 regardless of age or gender. For all distances, ages and gender there is a standard time, from which your actual race time is subtracted. The resulting number (either a ‘plus’ or a ‘minus’) is then used to find winners and improvers in a variety of competitions This means that despite growing old gracefully, you can still compete on a level playing field against people of different ages and gender. A recent update to the standards, based on analysis over the last 7 years or so, has levelled the playing field even further.
A Challenge to Suit You
The Midlands Group of the VTTA organise a range of events and competitions throughout the season. There are three different ways you can choose to compete, and this season guide shows you how you can take part in 2020. A range of competitions are organised, including:
• Season long series o Best All Rounder Competitions for: ▪ Best on standard over 25, 50 and 100 miles ▪ Best on standard over two 10 and two 25 mile time trials o Echelon / VTTA Points series • Personal challenge of beating your ‘standard time’ over any standard distance • Set an age related record
Read on for further details of these.
No matter what your age and ability, there is something to challenge yourself on with the VTTA. All you need to do is to join the Midland VTTA.
You can join on line at www.vtta.org.uk or, alternatively e-mail margaret.colburn@martley.org to get your membership form and to join.


Standard Times and Pluses
Our events, competitions and trophies are often based on ‘standard times’. Experienced VTTA members will be familiar with Standards. For those who are new they can be something of a mystery! Very briefly, Standards are a carefully designed handicap system which provide a level playing field for vets of all ages for both men and women and on all types of machine (i.e. solo bike, solo trike, tandem and tandem trike) Your actual time is compared to your ‘standard time’, which depends on your age, sex and type of machine, to give you a ‘plus’ or a ‘minus’ time. Results ‘on standard’ are then based on riders’ pluses or minuses. The winner with the biggest plus will be ‘Best on Standard’ (BOS).
There is quite a helpful guide on the VTTA national site at: https://www.vtta.org.uk/content/0-standards The Standard Tables can be found at: https://www.vtta.org.uk/standards

















Your Guide to the VTTA Midlands 2020 Racing Season
Below is a guide to the events, competitions, awards and trophies open to members of VTTA Midlands for 2020 to help you plan your season. There is something here for all riders so please read through and identify some events and awards you could use to target and motivate your cycling this year.
Please support the two open events we are organising year:
Joint VTTA/LVRC K47/15 4th April (Our annual ‘match’ with the LVRC for the Welland trophy) VTTA Midlands 10 K48/10 12th September

VTTA MIDLANDS EVENTS AND CHAMPIONSHIP TROPHIES Here is the list of trophies we will be awarding for 2020 in our championship events Note: BOS = Best on Standard
Event Trophy Awarded for Event Course Date Williams Rose Bowl BOS men VTTA 10 K48/10 12th Sept Bart Cup BOS women VTTA 10 K48/10 12th Sept Billy Steer Cup BOS men Echelon 25 K33/25S 26th July Bricknell Cup BOS women Echelon 25 K33/25S 26th July Wells Cup BOS men Solihull CC K33/50 24th May Victory Cup BOS women Solihull CC K33/50 24th May Stokes Cup Actual fastest Solihull CC K33/50 24th May Birks Cup BOS Worcs St J K33/10D 6th June Les Lowe Trophy Greatest distance ridden in open events on ‘K’ courses Points Series No trophy, but prize vouchers sponsored by Echelon Cycles

Featured Midland VTTA Events There are four events which are featured in this year’s VTTA Midlands racing calendar:

VTTA Mids 15 4th April** Solihull CC 50 24th May Echelon 25 26th July VTTA 10 12th Sept

Ride all four events and your cumulative standard times will be entitle you to enter these competitions, depending on your age
• Massie Cup Awarded to the rider BOS aged 65 and over • Jones Cup Awarded to the rider BOS aged 50 to 64 • Nomads Cup Awarded to the rider BOS aged under 50
**The VTTA Midlands 15 will also include tricycle entries and it will be a counting event (for tricycles) for the Tricycle Association National Time Trial League
VTTA MIDLAND BEST ALL ROUNDER TROPHIES The following trophies are based on performances over the season.
Trophy Awarded for Cyclo Shield Best All Rounder – men and women Best All Rounder (BAR) – BOS performance across any open 25, 50 and 100 miles Bayliss Cup Women’s Short Distance BAR – BOS performance across any two open 10 mile and any two open 25 mile time trials Godiva Cup Men’s Short distance BAR – BOS performance across any two open 10 mile and any two open 25 mile time trials

Claims for the Davies Cup, Cyclo Shield and Godiva Cup must be made at the end of the season and submitted to the Competitions Secretary. There will a claim form on the website and in the Standard Times.

VTTA Midlands Points Competition Series
The Points Series is sponsored by Echelon Cycles – with our thanks to Tim Wood.
The Points Series is a season-long competition for Midlands VTTA Members. Its objective is to encourage our Group Members to participate in time trials in the Midlands. Rides on solo machines (no tandems) in all CTT open events (except hill climbs and team time trials} on ‘K’ courses are eligible. Using the results of each event Midlands Group riders are ranked (first to last) on their standard in each event and points are awarded to each competitor. This is used to produce a ranking table of for all Group riders who have competed in any open events on ‘K’ courses. Points earned in each competitors’ six best rides count and at least four events must be ridden to qualify for prizes.

Prizes are awarded to: • The top 10 riders in the series • The best improver in terms of the places gained in the rankings over the 2019 season • Team prize: best club team of 4 riders in terms of cumulative points scored






Midlands VTTA Age Records
There are men’s and women’s records for all ages from 40 on for 10, 25, and 50 miles (and 100 and 12 hour if any are run on K courses).

The criteria for an age record claim are: • They must be set on a K course • Time must be set in an open, not in a club, event • There will be records for bicycles only at first • The applicant must be a member of the Midlands VTTA on the day the time was set • Age will be taken as the riders age on the day of the event – if the event is on their birthday, their age ON THAT DAY will be taken • Applications can be made at any time in the year.

Members putting in applications for Standards, BAR, Short Distance or Three Distance competition will automatically have their times compared to existing records and the record updated as appropriate.

This means that they may achieve a record mid-season but it may be superseded before these applications are sent to me at the end of the season. To avoid this, if any member wants a record considered DURING the season, they need to send a record claim form to Steve Jenks together with a result sheet. This can be done by post or by email with results attached. The claim forms are on the Midlands site. The updated records will be on an excel spreadsheet and, again, will be on our site in the near future.

See further updates on these competitions and records on the VTTA Group Midlands facebook page.











NATIONAL AWARDS AND COMPETITIONS
Have a go at achieving Standards Awards. First time claim: If it is your first attempt at a Standards award you WILL get it! All you have to do is:

1. Fill in an application form at the start of the season or before the first race you wish to include in your claim, and send the fee (£10) to Margaret Coburn.

2. For £10 you can claim for as many distances as you want from 10, 15, 25, 30, 50, 100, 12 and 24 hours. Alternatively, you can pay for your Standards Claim form online when you apply or renew your VTTA membership.

3. You can enter and ride as many open events as you wish at the standard distances you are going for. This can be done anywhere in the country NOT only on K courses.

4. You claim using the form which is found on the National site at www.VTTA.org.uk/files/ filling in times, course details etc. and sending it with your result sheet(s) for the events ridden to Steve Jenks, ensuring he gets them before the last week of October. Alternatively, you can send your claim as an attachment to an email together with a link to the results sheet (usually on the CTT site).

What awards do I get? A medal with your name and club on with the distance and a plus or minus compared to standard for each distance you have claimed for. If you claim three or more awards then they will engraved on a plaque. Good value or what?

Second year and after claims – as above but you will need to improve on your plus or minus for any distance you have claimed for previously. And there’s the challenge. Each year you can aim to improve against your standard. Note that there are a few minor revisions to standards this year – make sure you are using the latest tables on the National site. More details can be found at https://www.vtta.org.uk/content/0-standards Have a go at a National Competition – AND be part of a Group team

There are three national competitions and they are all based on your total plus against standard for the distance. They don’t cost you anything and you are given a National position at the end of the year!

a) Short Distance Competition: Your best results for the season in two open 10s and in two open 25s. b) Three Distance Competition: Your best times in open events at 25, 50 and 100 miles. c) BAR (Best All Rounder): Your best results in an open 25, 50, 100 miles and a twelve hour.

For each of the three National competitions the best six Midlands performances are totalled and each VTTA group is awarded a position. The best three in the Midlands VTTA are also awarded a plaque in each of the three competitions.

For these three competitions, at the end of the season you send your best results for each competition on a claim form with the results sheets to Steve Jenks - closing date is 18th October. If claimants want their results sheets returned, they should include a stamped selfaddressed envelope. The claim forms are found on the National site at www.VTTA.org.uk/files/ Claims can be made by email by attaching a copy of the completed form together with a link to the appropriate results sheets.

Even if you do not get the results you wanted, if you enter any of the three competitions above, you may well make up the six that we need to be recognised and given a position as a Group nationally.

More details can be found at https://www.vtta.org.uk/content/0-competitions

DON’T FORGET!

If you aren’t already a member of the VTTA join the Midlands Group and have some companionable, competitive fun on your bike!

You can join on line at www.vtta.org.uk or, alternatively e-mail margaret.colburn@martley.org to get your membership form and to join.

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